1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of this invention relate generally to toys, and more particularly to an apparatus configured for allowing a user to throw various types of objects without having to directly handle the objects.
2. Description of Related Art
Many people engage in a wide range of various recreational activities that involve the throwing of objects, such as a ball or disc. Depending on the type of object involved, the activity, and the respective abilities of the participants, such an object may be thrown for relatively long periods of time. Additionally, if the object is dropped, a participant must typically bend over to pick it back up. Over time, these repetitive motions can begin to strain the participants' muscles. Furthermore, depending on a given participant's strength and skill, that participant may not be able to throw the object as far or as frequently as desired.
While many object throwing activities are carried out by two or more people, often times they may involve animals as well, such as a dog. Handling an object in such a situation gives rise to additional concerns, on top of those discussed above. First, directly handling an object that has been in the mouth of an animal can be unsanitary and unpleasant, as the animal would likely leave saliva on the object. Secondly, depending on the temperament of the animal, the participants may also run the risk of being bitten when handling the object.
The following art defines the present state of this field:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,428,036 and 3,589,349 to Parker are generally directed to an improved ball-gripping and throwing apparatus. The ball-holding member is non-adjustably and immovably fixed to the spring handle by an integral extension of the ball-gripping arm elements. The ball-holding member otherwise includes a pair of spaced flexible gripping leaves and a pair of pressure arms adjustably forced against the outside of the gripping leaves to vary the pressure with which they engage and hold a ball positioned therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,292 to Hoffman is generally directed to a catapult toy. A flexible resilient wand with a finger grip handle has a tapered whippable shank and a shaped front end to receive a mass to be loosely, but frictionally, fitted on said front end. The toy is catapulted from said wand by a whipping action by the operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,371 to Woolard is generally directed to a ball throwing implement which includes a flexible shaft having at one end a threaded portion on which a stop disk is movably mounted. A ball or similar game element having a diametrical bore is slipped over the end of the flexible shaft into position against the stop disk. On the other side of the ball from the stop disk, a resilient release element is incorporated in the shaft so that it bears against the wall of the diametrical bore. By moving the stop disk to adjust the extent of engagement of the diametrical bore with the release element, the force required to throw the ball from the shaft may be adjusted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,650 to Hayman is generally directed to a set of flexible throwing rods. Each rod has a handle on one end for grasping and a gradual narrowing taper toward the other end. Each throwing rod has a varying length ranging from approximately 15 inches to approximately four feet. A rod is selected based upon the distance to a target. The rod slides through a diametrical hole in a ball. A whip-like action of the rod forces the ball off of the end.
U.S. Pat. Nos. D424, 640 and 6,076,829 to Oblack are generally directed to a ball throwing apparatus that includes an elongated shaft with a half-spherical structure attached to or formed at its distal end. The distal end is designed to easily engage and pick up a ball for throwing without the user having to touch the ball.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0029656 to Vannoy is generally directed to a ball launcher that allows a user to retrieve a ball from the ground and launch the ball, with accuracy, farther than the user can throw the ball by hand. The ball launcher uses an elongated tubular member having a handle at one end and an open opposing end. An annular ring encompasses either the inner surface of the tubular member proximate the open end, or the periphery of the open end. The annular ring has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the ball to be retrieved and when the ball launcher is pressed upon the ball, the ball slightly deforms or the annular ring slightly expands allowing the ball to pass the annular ring and into the tubular member. The tubular member is arcuately swung in order to launch the ball therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,583 to Hall is generally directed to a device for throwing a ball. The pouch is disposed on the end of an arm so that the ball contained in the pouch can be thrown in an overhand or underhand manner by the user. The pouch is attached to the arm on one end and a rubber band-like member is disposed in the pouch on the other open end, which rubber band holds the ball inside the pouch. As the arm and pouch are thrown by a user, the ball gains enough inertia through the arc of the throwing motion that the ball stretches the rubber band and passes between the rubber band and the pouch and, therefore, exits from the open end of the pouch.
The prior art described above teaches devices configured for allowing a user to pick up and throw a ball without having to directly handle the ball. Additionally, these prior art devices allow the user to throw the ball with relatively greater ease. However, many of these prior art devices are incapable of (1) ensuring that the object is engaged with the device in a desired orientation, and (2) allowing the user to more accurately direct the flight path of the object when thrown, by virtue of those prior art devices and corresponding objects having substantially cylindrical engagement means.